Pooled Employer Plans • The Architect Retirement PEP
The Architect PEP is built for employers who want strength, scale, and confidence in their retirement plan. Partnering with Empower, one of the nation’s largest and most trusted recordkeepers, this solution delivers cutting-edge technology, robust participant tools, and proven retirement readiness outcomes.
Paired with Benefit Trust Company as trustee, Architect emphasizes security and fiduciary oversight, giving adopting employers peace of mind while providing participants with a seamless retirement planning experience.
Highlights of Architect PEP:
- Powered by Empower’s technology platform, giving participants interactive dashboards, mobile access, and retirement readiness tools.
- Backed by Benefit Trust Company, delivering independent trustee oversight with a focus on security and fiduciary strength.
- Designed for employers who value scale, efficiency, and confidence in a nationally recognized solution.
- The Architect pooled employer 401(k) plan (PEP) that allows unrelated businesses to participate in a single plan managed by a pooled plan provider (PPP – The Finway Group).
The Architect Retirement PEP is an exclusive offering from industry leaders.
Finway Group
is the Pooled Plan Provider (PPP), 3(16) Plan Administrator, and Third Party Administrator
Empower
provides participant recordkeeping
Cota St.
serves as the 3(38) investment fiduciary
BenefitTrust
is the trustee
Who is it for?
How does it work?
Why do I want it?
How does it help employees?
Who is it for?
The Architect Retirement PEP is ideal for a plan sponsor who wants to:
Minimize their fiduciary responsibilities and related risk
Outsource the day-to-day operations of their plan and buy back valuable time
Eliminate their annual plan audit and related time and expense
Why do I want it?
You’ll experience many benefits:
Save on plan fees with discounted group rates
Reduce your plan fiduciary responsibilities and risk
Fewer employee/participant calls & questions — we handle that!
Expert support across all facets of plan operation
Save time through…
- Easier payroll and contribution submission using our sophisticated payroll integrations
- We’ll handle all the mundane details, notices, filings, and other plan operations
Investment consulting and advice that makes a difference and that you actually want
How does it work?
You sign an agreement with Finway to join the PEP. Your participation in the plan is covered in a master plan document and the entire group of participating sponsors share in a single annual IRS Form 5500. You and your employees are then enrolled into The Architect Retirement PEP and will have access to allocate their contributions to a robust range of high-quality investments.
Next, you can relax because you’ve got an entire team worrying about your employees’ retirement.
Now you’re free to focus on your business.
How does it help employees?
The Architect Retirement PEP enables you to provide the range of participant services and capabilities typically reserved only for larger plans, including:
Retirement Education
Personalized Financial Wellness
Advanced Online Experience
Investment Advice
We handle the details.
It’s easy to say that you’ll save time and that we’ll handle the day-to-day operations. But what does that include?
We will:
Track participant eligibility and other critical census data
Sign and file the annual IRS Form 5500
Monitor your payroll uploads to ensure timely processing
Approve and manage loans & distribution requests
Manage and mail all required participant notices
Receive all recordkeeper emails and to-do lists
Isn’t it time to get rid of the headaches, hassles & heartburn of running your retirement plan?